


A Sight for Sore Eyes

by ZukosSecondSword (michaelsbatmanboxers)



Series: Are You Moving Along? [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, F/M, Heartache, Heartbreak, Hurt No Comfort, Inspired by Music, M/M, Modern AU, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Song: Heather (Conan Gray), bi sokka, gay Zuko, he's not even in this but i hate him, i made myself sad and now all of you have to be sad too, nonbending au, zukka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27865686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/michaelsbatmanboxers/pseuds/ZukosSecondSword
Summary: "I watch your eyes as she walks by, what a sight for sore eyes"Zuko can feel the distance between them growing larger, but what's he supposed to do when Yue is everything he isn't?Based on Heather by Conan Grey
Relationships: Sokka/Yue (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Are You Moving Along? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2048300
Comments: 41
Kudos: 136





	A Sight for Sore Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> I made myself sad now you have to be sad too!

Zuko knew he wasn’t Sokka’s first choice anymore. Mai would tell him to stop being so overdramatic, but he could tell. He wasn’t stupid. They’d be spending time together, and she’d walk by. Without fail, Sokka would lose track of what he was saying, whatever dumb joke, whatever stupid pick up line, and watch her walk by. Everytime she looked at him, he turned a dumb shade of dark red, a shade that used to be reserved for Zuko’s teasing compliments alone. Zuko would just hold on to the shreds of the relationship as tight as he can. He’d savor it until its very last second. 

He thought he had more time, until one day instead of just walking by, Yue stopped. She talked to them. She talked to Sokka. And while being included at first, Zuko’s voice quickly faded into oblivion as the two brighter, happier, funnier, more animated, and better fitting pair of the trio talked over him in their excitement. As she walked away, she looked back, catching Sokka’s gaze. Zuko curled into his sweater- Sokka’s sweater. _How long until he’ll ask for it back?_

-

He could still remember the day Sokka gave it to him- it was a cold October day, and Zuko had forgotten his jacket. He was curled against the wind, his arms pulled against his torso as he tried to rub some feeling back into them. Sokka teased him- “your lips are turning blue, you doofus!” - as he pulled Zuko into his side. “Take my sweatshirt.” Zuko refused. 

“You’ll be cold then.” 

“I’m used to the cold, sunshine.” 

“But-” 

“Tell you what, I’ll just lay it on this here bench. If you don’t take it, it’ll just stay there forever and I’ll lose a perfectly good sweater.” Sokka winked at him, laying the sweater out on the bench. Zuko rolled his eyes as he grabbed the sweater, pulling it over his head in defeat. “Perfect! It looks better on you anyway.” Zuko’s cheeks lit up, his burning face a stark contrast to the biting fall air. 

\- 

Zuko played with the strings fraying from the hoodie. He wore it more than twice a week since. It made him feel safe, protected. Now it was a constant reminder of something he’s losing, something he’s lost already, something he refuses to let go of. But even the lazy mornings they spent in Sokka’s room weren’t the same anymore. They both knew something changed. They both knew what had changed. Sokka constantly avoided Zuko’s gaze. When he did look, there wasn’t the familiar warmth and affection, but rather sadness. 

Sad for Zuko or for himself, he couldn’t tell. 

He stopped holding Zuko. He’d squirm his way out of Zuko’s hugs if they were held too long. He’d kiss Zuko out of obligation, but the heart was no longer there. Zuko would rather Sokka never kiss him again than give him the ghost of what once was. But Sokka wasn’t ready to confront his changing feelings, so Zuko played the part. The part of safety in knowing. 

-

“So what would you do if I kissed you right now?” Sokka asked, watching Zuko out of the corner of his eye. Zuko choked on his tea, coughing into his arm as his body worked to dislodge it. “Hot.” 

“Shut up, dickface.” Zuko kicked Sokka under the table, his voice rough from his brush with death. 

“You didn’t answer my question, though,” Sokka pointed out, leaning his chin on his palms and raising an eyebrow. 

“I-” Zuko scrambled to remember how to speak, because _God, I would love that,_ but he’s not the desperate type. “Here? In front of-” He cut himself off, glancing up to the front counter, where his uncle hummed some old song to himself. 

“Why not?” Sokka wiggled his eyebrows, pulling a smile from Zuko. 

“I’m not sure I want our first kiss to be in front of my uncle.” 

“Not enough romance for you?” 

“Too many prying eyes for me.” 

“Sounds like you’re embarrassed of me.” Sokka pushed his bottom lip out in a pout, his eyes widening comically. _I would kiss that look right off you if I could_. 

“Super embarrassed, have you met yourself?” Zuko teased, laughing under his breath as Sokka’s eyebrows shot up. 

“Fine. I didn’t even want to kiss you!” He responded, crossing his arms. 

“So you’d say no if I…” Zuko leaned across the booth, not breaking eye contact with Sokka until the blue eyes fluttered shut. Zuko sat back in his seat, a victorious smirk pulling across his face. “That’s what I thought.” Sokka’s eyes flew open, his cheeks stained a dark red. 

“Tease.” 

“So what if I am?” Zuko asked, tilting his head. Sokka stood up, grabbing Zuko’s hand. “What?” Zuko stood with him, laughing at the suddenness of his movements. “What’re you doing?” 

“We’re going somewhere your uncle can’t see,” Sokka pulled him close to mumble this, pulling away with a wink. “Unless you’d rather-” 

“No, I’d like that very much,” Zuko answered in a rush, much too fast to keep his ‘cool guy’ demeanor. Sokka laughed, pulling him out the door as Iroh shouted after them.

“Zuko! That tea is coming out of your paycheck!” 

-

Zuko stared into his empty tea mug. Iroh’s behind him, parroting something off about how ‘if it’s meant to be it’ll be,’ but he couldn’t bring himself to listen. He glanced at the clock, his heart clenching as he noticed the time. **8:39**. Sokka forgot their date. He pulled his phone out again, dialing the only number he knew by heart, and sighed as it yet again went to voicemail. Azula was next to him, offering a multitude of options to ‘make Sokka pay’, but Zuko couldn’t listen to this. He stood up and walked to his room without saying another word. 

The next day, Sokka apologized many times over. He was helping Yue study. He lost track of time. His phone had died. He was so sorry. He would make it up to Zuko. Zuko pulled his red rimmed eyes to meet Sokka’s bright blue ones, and forced a smile. He reassured Sokka. He understood. Things happen. Sokka thanked him for not flipping out. Sokka trailed off of what he was saying as Yue walked by. He broke from Zuko’s side to greet her, his voice betraying his excitement. 

Yue shooed Sokka away, sitting next to Zuko. She talked to him quietly and calmingly. She took responsibility for Sokka missing their date. She felt bad. She didn’t mean- Zuko tuned her out. It’s hard to hate someone so nice. 

-

“Hi! I’m Sokka!” Zuko broke his gaze from his best friend’s, looking at the lound intrusion on their lunch. “I’m new here, and you two seemed nice enough.” Mai snorted from beside Zuko, stabbing at her mashed potatoes. 

“Yeah, we radiate friendliness,” she spoke, her voice as flat as ever. Sokka lit up with a grin. 

“I’m glad you can see it.” He turned to Zuko, shooting him a _face_. “So, is this gonna be one of those things where I don’t find out your names until later, or…?” Zuko pulled at his sleeves, his hands working with the hanging strings anxiously. 

“Uh- Yeah. I’m Zuko, this is-” Mai cut him off with a glower, shaking her head. “Uh- I guess she doesn’t want her name shared… at this point- I guess. I’m sorry,” Zuko almost whispered the last sentence, his eyes dropping to his lap. 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Zuko and Ms. Scowls-A-Lot!” Sokka smiled at the two of them. “I have a feeling we’ll be fantastic friends.” 

“I’m sure.” Mai answered, not looking up from her nails. “Zuzu, do you think I need to get my nails redone?” Zuko opened his mouth to reply but-

“I think they look great! They really pull together this whole scary vibe you’ve got going,” Sokka interjected. 

“Uh, thanks. I guess.” Mai glanced at Zuko, unsure what to make of Sokka. 

“Are either of you in theater? I’m auditioning for the prince!” Sokka puffed his chest out with pride. 

“Yeah, Zuzu’s actually one of the lead techs,” Mai nudged Zuko with her elbow, startling him back to attention. 

“Cool! I guess we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other then, huh?” Sokka grinned at Zuko, genuine excitement filling his gaze. 

“Uh- Yeah. I guess so.” Zuko shot a half smile back. 

-

Zuko couldn’t get out of bed. He couldn’t even look at his phone except to change the song. He knew it was coming, but when he and Sokka met at the park the afternoon before, it still hurt. It still hurt as Sokka assured him ‘it’s not you, it’s me.’ _No, it’s Yue._ It still hurt as Sokka made Zuko promise that they’d still be friends. It still hurt as Sokka reached out instinctively to wipe Zuko’s tears, then pulled his hand away as if Zuko hurt to touch. It hurt the entire walk home, even though Sokka offered to give him a ride. 

Sokka’s hoodie sat on the ground, still in the pile that Zuko had thrown it into in frustration when he got home, before sinking to his knees in a blubbering mess. He was barely able to breathe, barely able to see, unable to think straight. He cried so loud he would be surprised if the neighbors didn’t come knocking to make sure he wasn’t dying. Azula had forced him into bed, holding his head in her lap and running comforting fingers through his hair until he fell asleep. 

When he woke up, he could feel the crust that had formed over his eyes crack as he peeled them open. The tears had sprung up again when he remembered _it wasn’t just a nightmare._ Uncle came in for only a moment to set a small plate of Zuko’s favorite breakfast food on his desk. Zuko couldn’t be bothered to eat it. The smell made him sick. His stomach growled in frustration, but Zuko’s limbs were too heavy to move even if he wanted to. He reached for his phone, barely paying attention as he pulled up the playlist he made the minute he realized this was coming. He hit the shuffle button, his arm collapsing on himself as the opening lines played through his shitty speakers. 

_“I still remember the 3rd of December…”_

He shut his eyes, letting the music wash over him as fresh tears leaked out. 

-

“So what’s this big surprise you have for me?” Zuko sat on Sokka’s bed, leaned up against the wall with his feet kicked out in front of him. “You gonna finally join the circus?” 

“Not yet, my dear,” Sokka waved his finger at Zuko. He reached into the corner, picking up his guitar and settling it on his lap. “Get ready to be serenaded.” Zuko tried to hold back his smile as Sokka started strumming away on his guitar but it seemed to force its way onto his face. Sokka’s rough voice filled the room, a voice Zuko had grown fond of during their late night drives singing along to whatever popped up on their shared playlist. 

_“This is the first day of my life. Swear I was born right in the doorway…”_ Zuko closed his eyes, his fingers intertwining and curling in on themselves as he listened to his boyfriend’s crooning. “ _I went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed, they’re spreading blankets on the beach.”_ Sokka pulled Zuko through the song with him like a poet leading the blind. Every word was brimming with affection, filled with unspoken feelings. Zuko’s hand covered his mouth, muting the joy-filled sobs that threatened to interrupt Sokka. 

The final note rang out through the room, leaving the two in a comfortable, warm silence. Zuko finally opened his eyes, a few tears slipping through his eyelashes. Sokka smiled at him, reaching over to grab Zuko’s hands in his own. He opened his mouth, before snapping it shut. He glanced around his room, his blue eyes finally coming to meet Zuko’s gold. “So, didja hate it?” Zuko laughed, pushing him away by the shoulder. 

-

Not even two weeks after their breakup. He couldn’t even wait two weeks. Zuko didn’t know if they were official or not, and he couldn’t bring himself to find out. Despite the promise Zuko had made to Sokka the day they parted ways, he hadn’t texted. He hadn’t called. He couldn’t bring himself to hear the voice he had fallen in love with talk about someone else. 

Zuko’s days were constant repeats of the ones before. _Wake up. Force yourself out of bed. Go to school. Eat something, anything. Tell Uncle you’re fine. No, really, you’re fine. Half ass your homework. Crawl back in bed and stare at the ceiling until you fall asleep or your alarm goes off, whichever comes first._

He would walk by Sokka and Yue in the halls, holding hands. Sokka would always pull away from her when he noticed Zuko walk by, when he met Mai’s death glare being shot at him. He would always shoot an apologetic smile, one that made Zuko’s chest cave in on itself and fresh tears roll into his eyes. Despite everything, he couldn’t bring himself to hate Sokka for what he’d done. Zuko could never hate Sokka. 

-

“Don’t make fun of me,” Zuko demands out of nowhere. Sokka looks up from his painting, his eyebrows pulled together. 

“Where’d that come from?” 

“I’m gonna say something, and it’s gonna sound stupid, and I need you to not make fun of me, okay?” Sokka nods solemnly, pulling his pointer finger over his chest in an x-motion. 

“I cross my heart, I won’t make fun of you.” Zuko closes his eyes, and takes a deep, steadying breath. 

“SoIknowthisisdumbbutIlikebeingaroundyoualotand-” 

“Wow, slow down! I can’t understand you,” Sokka frowns, resting a hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “Is everything okay?” 

“I-” Zuko’s face lights up, because _this just makes it harder._ He swallows his anxiety, looking up to meet Sokka’s gaze. “I mean- it’s just that… For a couple months… I mean I’ve spent almost every waking minute…” He cuts himself off, taking a second to collect his thoughts. “We’ve been seeing each other ‘officially’ for a few months, right?” 

“Five, yes.” Sokka nods, a slight smile pulling at his _stupid dumb perfect_ lips. 

“Yes, five months. And we’ve spent a lot of those five months with each other.” Sokka nods again. “And in those five months, I’ve- I don’t know. You’re just a really neat guy, and-” 

“ _Neat?_ Is this 1950?” 

“You said you wouldn’t make fun of me!” Sokka laughs, miming zipping his mouth shut. “But yeah. You’re so- fun to be around. You make me feel like I can be myself, you make me feel like I can take on the world. You make me forget all the bad things, or at least make the bad things seem so much smaller in comparison.” Zuko finally forces himself to look Sokka in the eyes. “What I’m trying to say is… I- uh. I think I might love you, Sokka.” There’s a second of silence. _Oh god, I fucked up, I misread this._ Sokka's pulling him in a hug, holding him as tight as he can. 

“Say it again,” Sokka asks, his voice muted from his mouth pressed in Zuko’s shoulder. 

“I love you?” Sokka laughs in glee, pulling away. 

“I just- I needed to make sure this wasn’t some stupid dream again.” Sokka grabs Zuko’s hands, gazing at him adoringly. “I love you, Zuko.” 

Zuko’s chest lights up in response to those words, a grin settling onto his face. “Yeah?” Sokka nods, pulling Zuko into another tight hug. 

“I really do.” 

“You sure?” Zuko fidgets with his fingers, chewing on his lip. “I mean, I don’t want you to say it just because-” 

“Zuko, hush.” Sokka cups his jaw gently, running his thumb along Zuko’s cheek. “Look at me.” Zuko meets Sokka’s eyes, smiling at him softly. “I’m going to spend every single second of the rest of my life loving you. And there’s nothing you can do to stop me.” 

“Every second?” Zuko laughs to himself. 

“Every second.” 


End file.
